Feels like Tonight
by PriestessOfNox
Summary: 09/25/11 Song Sunday based on "Feels like Tonight" by Daughtry also based on Yu-Gi-Ah's picture for Anniversary Saturday. The carnival is in New Metropolis and Brainy inadvertently asks Superman to go.


09/26/11 for 09/25/11

I know it's 3am but I had a horrible day yesterday and did this before going to bed so I'm counting it!

This is for "Song Sunday" based off Feels like Tonight by Daughtry (though the parts that I base off the song don't come in until later) since Yu-Gi-Ah once said the song reminded her of this pairing, plus it's also based on her picture "First Meeting" at deviant art that she did for "Anniversary Saturday".

So in a way this story is like "Fanficion Friday", "Anniversary Saturday" and "Song Sunday" all put together. Enjoy.

Feels like Tonight

"Brainy, Brainy look," Superman flew into Brainy's lab with a smile bright enough to solar power the city for a year. He unrolled an old fashioned paper flyer and turned it so Brainy could see. "There's going to be a carnival in town, just like the one at Smallville in my time, it's even ran by the same people. Isn't it amazing that they've been around this long?"

Resting his chin in his hand, Brainy attempted to block his smile with his fingers. He continued to listen to Superman talk excitedly about the carnival, leaning back to enjoy the sound of his voice, his excitement, and all the things that just made Superman, or rather Clark, who he was.

As Superman finished, Brainy smiled more, forgetting about hiding it behind his fingers.

"Did you want to go?"

At first Superman stared at him, blinking uncertainly but almost instantly he brightened again.

"That would be great! I'll go change and be right back."

Superman zoomed off before Brainy realized that he had inadvertently just invited him to the carnival; sort of like a date. His face heated up at the realization. Surely Superman wouldn't have taken it that way.

It wasn't until Brainy caught himself looking at his reflection on some shiny surfaces of his equipment that he realized he might have accidentally thought of it that way; only by accident of course.

When Superman came back he had changed to his pants and sweater vest from the past. The only thing he was missing was his glasses.

"Ready to go?" asked Clark.

"Sure," Brainy hoped he didn't stammer.

Instead of flying to the carnival they walked, Brainy giving Clark a small tour along the way since they normally only saw the city from above. They made notes of places to go back to sometime when they didn't have something else to do.

Once at the carnival grounds they got their tickets and headed inside. Lots of the foods Clark would have known, such as much of the food on a stick that Bouncing Boy had been so enthusiastic about, had been gone from carnivals for ages. However there was still cotton candy, in a bag, fried sugar dough and some other sweet or friends things from Earth along with various foods that had been added along with the numerous alien species that had joined Earth culture.

Between games Brainy introduced Clark to some new foods. Clark seemed to really enjoy the numerous different kinds of cookies, or cookie like sweets, from other worlds but he made a face when he drank something akin to milk and refused to try other varieties. The other ice creams were to his liking though, a long as Brainy didn't tell him any of the ingredients.

At one point Brainy turned and Clark was no longer beside him. He started to backtrack, jumping when someone suddenly grabbed his hand.

"Hey, come and take a look inside," Clark grinned, half poking out of a tent. He didn't wait for Brainy's answer before he pulled him inside.

In the tent was a miniature museum filled with old equipments, posters of old acts and pictures of the history of the carnival. It looked like the earliest pictures were from when cameras were first invented.

Not giving Brainy time to look around Clark pulled him over to a display case.

"Someone says they saw a picture of someone who looks like me here. They thought it was my ancestor but it could actually be me."

With a quick scan of the case Brainy spotted Clark's face. He raised his hand to point it out but had to stop; Clark was still holding his hand.

There was a 100% possibility that Brainy was blushing.

Not seeming to notice or care that they were holding hands, Clark spotted the picture on his own and smiled.

"We're both in it."

"What?" Brainy asked absently, still looking at their hands.

"You're in the picture with me," Brainy could hear the smile in Clark's voice.

Looking up at the picture, Brainy found that Clark was right. He had been so focused on Clark that he had missed his own face.

In the picture Clark and Brainy were talking, Saturn Girl and Bouncing Boy somewhere out of view of the camera. As luck would have it, Brainy's bangs and arm, up in a gesture, blocked both of his Brainiac insignia's; no one from the carnival would have reason to connect him with Brainiac the first when he first made Earth aware of his presence. It looked like it was taken shortly after Saturn Girl had wiped the crowd's memory of the Ferris wheel nearly falling apart.

"I hadn't noticed anyone with a camera," Brainy stated with a slight frown.

"Me neither," Clark smiled. "I wonder if there's a way we can get a copy of it."

"I might be able to arrange that," Brainy's frown faded when Clark turned his grin on him, unable to help but smile in return.

"I wonder what the person thought when they saw someone green through their camera lens," Clark turned his attention back to the picture.

"Saturn Girl said the crowd thought we were performers," Brainy replied.

Clark turned and looked at Brainy again, his stare a little intense, making Brainy feel like he was being studied and a little awkward of being on the other side of the equation. Then, with almost seriousness, Clark said, "That would have had to have been some make up."

He wasn't sure if it was Clark's expression or the absurd notion of him wearing make up but Brainy couldn't stop himself from laughing. Then, once he started, it took a moment for him to calm down. It made him feel rather silly but when he saw Clark's expression, though he couldn't quite describe it, he felt himself blush and felt even sillier.

Without saying anything Clark, still holding Brainy's hand, lead him back out of the tent. It took Clark a moment to find what he was looking for but soon they were heading to a strange, metallic box, really only big enough for two people. He put some money, credits the Legion helped him acquire, in it and they went inside.

Brainy didn't have a chance to look around before there was a flash; then he had to blink rapidly.

"A photo booth?"

"Yep; say make-up!"

Unable to help it, Brainy laughed again, it stopping when there was another flash.

"Stop that!"

Grinning, Clark let go of Brainy's hand to make a motion that looked like her was miming putting on lipstick with an invisible compact mirror.

This time Brainy managed to stop himself from laughing but made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a squeak. It was then Clark's turn to laugh as the flash went off, though he was still holding his invisible make-up supplies.

"These pictures are going to look ridiculous," Brainy lamented, not sure exactly of why it bothered him.

"Nah, they'll look great," there was something about Clark's voice that made Brainy turn to him, just as Clark's hand came down and landed on top of his and then didn't move.

The world inside that booth was suddenly very still and silent. There was a pounding in Brainy's ears and it seemed like they were getting closer.

Then the last flash stopped whatever was happening. Or would it be whatever was about to happen? In any case they silently left the booth and retrieved the pictures.

In the last picture it looked like Brainy and Clark had been about to kiss.

Instantly Brainy's face went hot and he tried to take the pictures away from Clark.

"I was right; these look ridiculous. I'll throw them away."

Clark moved them out of Brainy's reach, "I like them."

"We're making stupid faces."

"That's kind of the point."

"We can take better pictures."

"They wouldn't be as fun."

"Clark," Brainy did his best to sound threatening but he didn't think it was working with him blushing and fearing about Clark taking a good look at the last picture and realizing what Brainy had been about to do. "Throw them away or I will."

At that Clark raised an eyebrow, "What are you going to do? Sneak into my room while I'm sleeping?"

"If that what it takes," Brainy bluffed.

"In that case I'll be putting them under my pillow," Clark grinned and winked. "Just to warn you, I cuddle when I'm asleep."

Face heating up further, Brainy didn't even notice when Clark took his hand again and lead them to their next activity.

They day went by quickly after that, soon it was dark and they were going on the Ferris wheel before going home.

It seemed like such a shame that the day was ending; it had been so, so perfect just being with Clark one on one. No villains, no teammates, not even the iconic red cape; just them, though it made Brainy wish he had changed clothes as well even though he didn't know what he had to wear other then his uniforms. But, worse of all, days like this always had the possibility of never happening again for Clark could leave for his own time and though he could come back he probably never would once he learned the significance of "Brainiac" and realized all the times Brainy had lied to him, even simply by omission. Then Clark would surely hate him.

That though made Brainy suddenly feel very cold and empty inside. He almost didn't move when it was their turn to take seats, Clark having to give his hand a tug.

As Brainy sat he wondered if it was possible that their friendship could ever make up for any of the horrors Brainiac would cause. He wondered if one day their friendship would be considered one of those horrors.

There was nothing Brainy wanted more then to not lose Clark to history.

"Hey Brainy, are you okay; you suddenly got quiet," Clark's voice was full of concern, temporarily safe in his cocoon of obliviousness that would eventually unravel.

"Fine," Brainy lied, "just thinking."

"I've been thinking about things too," Clark started just as the ride did. "I was remembering how it seemed like I had been waiting my whole life to meet you; to no longer have to hide, to no longer have to chase after normality but never being able to be normal. You opened this whole other world for me." He smiled at Brainy in a way that made the coluan's heart start to beat a little faster. "You even taught me to fly."

"The Legion-" Brainy found himself fumbling.

"Not the Legion," Clark cut in. "You, I; that is I've never felt this way before."

The world was suddenly still again.

"The ride stopped," Brainy noted absently; they were at the top.

"I asked the guy to give us a moment," Clark explained.

That seemed like an oddly romantic gesture. In fact this whole conversation was like something Brainy had dreamed. If it wouldn't look so ridiculous Brainy would consider pinching himself.

"Do you know what day it is?" asked Clark.

Brainy shook his head; he honestly couldn't remember or care at the moment what weekday or number it was.

"A thousand years ago today we met for the first time at this very carnival in Smallville," Clark answered. "It's our anniversary."

"That is a romantic way of phrasing it," Brainy commented.

"It was meant to be."

Slowly Clark's hands came up and framed Brainy's face with them. He caressed Brainy's cheeks with his thumbs, watching the younger boy's expression and more particularly his eyes. Then, slowly, began to lean in.

Brainy's eyes drifted shut as their lips touched and fireworks started to go off, but Brainy thought they were all in his imagination.


End file.
